Experience teaches us that even after stealing millions of dollars from government coffers and enriching themselves, friends and families, despots are never willing to relinquish power. So when  Strongman Roosevelt Skerrit says that he is slowly preparing his exit from the stolen seat of power in Dominica – “ don’t listen to what he says; just watch what he does.”   

It is important to remember that early in 2017, Skerrit made similar comments indicating that he was no longer interested in the seat of power and may not be contesting the next general election-an election which was expected sometime in 2020.  A year later in the Paix Bouche community Skerrit turn around and declared that he intend to be in power for another 50 years or until his son 4 year old son Demetri starts having kids.

In the words of George Ayittey “Dictators are allergic to reform, and they are cunning survivors. They will do whatever it takes to preserve their power and wealth, no matter how much blood ends up on their hands. They are master deceivers and talented manipulators who cannot be trusted to change.”

Even among his most fervent supporters and loyalists Skerrit is known to be conniving and an inveterate liar. Bag Man Floyd Capitolin or “Mouche Kotwere loyalist Ian Douglas are still privately talking about Skerrit’s psychopathic behavior- his masterful ways of pretending to be kind and caring but is in reality a dangerous viper- a snake with the penchant to use, abuse and refuse people.  Not even Vince Henderson himself actually believes that Skerrit truly wants to hand over power to him.

When Skerrit unilaterally decided that only Vince Henderson should represent the people of Grandbay in parliament and that only Vince can replace him as prime minister and leader of the ruling Dominica Labor Party, the story of a fox and a wolf trapped in the bottom of a pit comes to mind. The only hope of escaping the trap is to pretend that they trust each trust each other but the wolf is a bully, and secretly the fox hates him or vice versa? Both men had been linked to dangerous convicted international criminals and may be desperately in need of each other.  

It was in September 2015 and during the Obama administration that Ng Lap Seng and cohorts were busted in aUN bribery scheme. With the exception of Roosevelt Skerri, everyone else involved with Ng Lap Seng’s bribery scheme was arrested and convicted. On January 2017 less than two years after Ng Lap Seng was arrested, Dominica’s diplomat, Alireza Monfared was arrested by Interpol. Using a CBI/passport selling sham operation in Malaysia called My Dominica Trade House. PM Skerrit and company ,Vince Henderson included , provided a platform and cover for Monfared's Iranian oil sanction busting operation. It is also alleged that Monfared had been involved in the financing of the Benghazi terrorist attack against the United States.

As to why  Skerrit was not arrested and charged after the Ng Lap Seng bribery scheme or the Alireza Monfared crime spree, we can only speculate. Some have postulated that there may be a sealed indictments awaiting Skerrit. What is certain is that prior rulings from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) make it extremely difficult to arrest a sitting prime minister. The ICJ has sided arguments that gives heads of state and foreign ministers immunity from arrest while they hold office. The ICJ historically has supported the idea that criminal prosecution in any country in the world against some other head of state would hinder that leader’s ability to travel freely and to carry out the duty of international diplomacy.

If not an arrest then why hasn’t Skerrit been forced out of office? There is much pessimism on whether foreign pressure works and that the idea of placing sanctions particularly on small island states could have misdirected implications. Sanctions imposed on one small island in the Caribbean for example could affect several other islands in the region.      

According to our investigating journalist friends in the Washington DC area “there are all sorts of Lobbying going on in Washington DC. Some Lobbyist work for large organizations, some the general public and foreign governments. There are many instances of lobbyists even working on the behalf of individuals be it foreign leaders /politicians , private business people, some with business and legal issues needing special favors.  

Following the UN bribery scandal, a fly by night business relationship was arranged between Skerrit and a known Washington lobbyist and lawyer Lanny Davis. It is alleged that the same Dev Bath of CBI benifits fame was responsible for the Lanny Davis and Roosevelt Skerrit hook up. Lanny Davis served as special counsel to the then president Bill Clinton and a very close friend and aid to Hilary Clinton who was at the time of the UN bribery scandal the Secretary Of State. It is also worth noting that Ng Lap Seng himself had also been associated with Bill and Hilary Clinton.

In a statement put out by the PM’s office, “Lanny Davis was engaged to help organize a fund raising event to assist Dominica after the Tropical storm Erika.“ While we are still awaiting the results of that fly by night set up between Lanny Davis and Roosevelt Skerrit it is only reasonable to ask whether Lanny Davis was really employed by Skerrit as a fund raising coordinator ? Could it be that Lanny Davis was hired to lobby on behalf of the severely toxic CBI program or as an advocate on behalf of Skerrit and his personal legal problems? The kind of legal problems that brigand lawyers and the crooked Eastern Caribbean Court judges have no jurisdictional sway.

Another Lobbyist!!

The Republican led Trump administration took office after the 2016 US presidential election and the Obama administration was gone. As expected with a change of administration, influences and access to power changes. A lobbyist like Lanny Davis for example would very likely not have the kind of lobbying clout and influences within the Republican led administration. Needless to say the most accommodated and recognized lobbyist getting their wheels greased in Washington would be those close to the Republicans Party- characters like Rudy Giuliani for example.

Skerrit’s Paix Bouche declaration came on the eve of a leaked senate document confirming that a number of US senators had signed off on an inquiry into Rudy Giuliani’s paid lobbying engagement with the Government of Dominica; a few other  governments included.  It had also been reported in other news outlets that Rudy Giuliani was one of the lawyers in Washington representing Monfared’s Iranian Oil Busting partner, Iranian Business man Reza Zarrab.  Reza Zarrab was arrested in Miami and charged with laundering billions of dollars through the Iranian Oil sanction busting scheme.

The PM’s office  is yet to provide the reason for Rudy Giuliani’s paid lobbying services and so we must ask –was  Giuliani employed to lobby on behalf of Skerrit’s  personal matters? We have the right to know 

Aside-Since Clarence Christian seems to have all the answers on government emoluments he should  tell us exactly how much Rudy Giuliani was paid for Lobbying on behalf of Skerrit.

Clarence Christian may also have a report from the PM’s office on the Tropical Storm Erika relief effort by Lanny Davis.

If Past Is Prologue -Vince is Bound to get Played 

Too much is at stake and it’s just a matter of time before the strongman prime minister reassures his followers that he is there for another 50 years. Vince Henderson will then have to wait on Skerrit’s son to hand him the seat of prime minister of Dominica. Let’s hope that while he waits in vain he does not become part of the myths surrounding the past  DLP Parliamentary representatives for the Grandbay constituencies.   

Vince by his experience should know very well that despots never give up power willingly. Instead, they dismantle the systems of democracy and exploit weaknesses for their personal benefit.  Despots generally lack self- esteem and are terrified of the thought of not being in full control and losing their functional immunities. They use morally debauched sycophants and vicious hanger ons like Vince Henderson himself, corrupt judges and lawyers, shameless  mouth pieces like Clarence Christian, and Parry Bellot to assure them of a farcical indispensability.  

We predict that when the people of Grandbay will blindly elect Vince Henderson as their Parliamentary  Representative, Vince will be assigned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not only because of his experience as a foreign ambassador but because of his past exposures he may need the immunity that comes with the post of Foreign Minister.

The dictator will remain in office for as long as the people allow him to run roughshod over  the state using his psychopathic manipulations and sham elections.